The present invention relates to an immunological blood test method and a coil column for use in such method.
More particularly, the present invention relates to an immunological blood test method and a coil column adapted to be used in the practice of the immunological blood test according to a known coil planet centrifuge (CPC) method. The present invention adopts such method to use in measuring erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
According to a conventional immunological blood test method, a reaction in serum is caused to take place on a glass place and a diagnosis is made on the basis of microscopic examination of coagulation of erythrocytes. However, improvements in this method have been desired, since it demands a considerable number of complicated and time-consuming procedures to be performed by an analyst. Moreover, it takes a relatively long period of time to complete the analysis, since coagulation of erythrocytes must be sufficient to permit the microscopic examination.
According to the CPC method, a small amount of blood is introduced into one end of an elongated tube which is helically wound around a support rod and contains a saline solution having a linear concentration gradient. This coil column, composed of the tube and the support rod with the saline solution filled in said tube, is caused to simultaneously revolve and undergo a planetary motion so that there can be produced a hematological pattern, which permits diagnosis of blood, liver, bile or gastrointestinal disorders or potential hemolytic disorders in infants. (See, K. Takagi et al.: "Journal of Clinical Blood", Vol. 17, No. 11, Pages 1153 to 1160 (1976); Kitazima, et al.: "Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine", Vol. 85, page 855 to 864 (1975); and S. Ogita et at.: "Journal of Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology", Vol. 27, No. 10, pages 1099-1102 (1975).)
However, no attempts have been made to apply the CPC method to immunological blood tests.